Latest news with #SeveBallesteros
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
McIlroy returns to defend DP World Tour Championship title
Grand Slam winner and five-time Major Champion Rory McIlroy will return to Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 13-16 to defend his DP World Tour Championship title at the season-ending Rolex Series event. The Northern Irishman delivered a masterclass in control and shot-making to claim his third DP World Tour Championship victory in 2024, sealing a record-equalling sixth Race to Dubai title to sit alongside the legendary Seve Ballesteros and further cementing his status as one of the most decorated players in Tour history. The 36-year-old has moved into joint second place for the most Race to Dubai victories and now sits two behind Colin Montgomerie, as he bids to add another European Number One crown to his already impressive career. The renowned Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates has been a prosperous venue for the world number two, who has won the DP World Tour Championship in 2012, 2015 and 2024 and topped the season-long standings in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2023, and 2024. McIlroy also has four additional victories in Dubai, and the Masters Champion currently leads the Race to Dubai Rankings ahead of Tyrrell Hatton by 1,109.51 points. He will spend two weeks in the UAE following confirmation that he will also tee it up at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship — the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs — qualifying for both season-ending events thanks to that thrilling victory at Augusta National, a fourth-place finish at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, a tied runner up finish at the Genesis Scottish Open, and tied seventh at The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush. 'Dubai has always been a special place for me,' said McIlroy. 'Winning both the DP World Tour Championship and the Race to Dubai last year was an incredible way to finish the season. To equal Seve's record made it even more special. I've played some great golf this year and I'm looking forward to finishing strong again in front of the fans at Jumeirah Golf Estates.' The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is the first event of the DP World Tour's end of season showpiece, leading straight into the DP World Tour Championship where the Race to Dubai champion will be crowned. The top 70 available players at the conclusion of the Back 9 events will gather in Abu Dhabi for the fourth Rolex Series event of the year, with the top 50 teeing it up at the DP World Tour Championship as the season comes to a close in Dubai. McIlroy became the first European to win the career grand slam earlier this year when he added a Green Jacket to his four previous Major victories at the 2011 US Open, the US PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014 and The Open in 2014. He will look to clinch a fourth successive Race to Dubai title when he returns to the Middle East in November and a seventh Harry Vardon Trophy in total. Following record weekend crowds last year, free general admission tickets for Thursday and Friday are now available at The DP World Tour Championship also offers a fantastic day out for all, combining world-class golf with an array of exciting activities and experiences. The vibrant village ensures an incredible atmosphere, featuring dedicated activations for children, free golf lessons for all ages, Ladies Day celebrations, trick-shot shows, large screens for enhanced viewing, and engaging sports activations. Fans seeking an elevated experience can choose from a range of premium hospitality options. The Championship Chalet, situated on the 18th green, offers an exclusive vantage point to observe the thrilling conclusion of each round. The Earth Lounge, overlooking the 16th green, provides a chic and comfortable setting to relax and enjoy the action.
Emirates 24/7
5 days ago
- Sport
- Emirates 24/7
Rory McIlroy returns to defend DP World Tour Championship
Grand Slam winner and five-time Major Champion Rory McIlroy will return to Jumeirah Golf Estates from 13th-16th to defend his DP World Tour Championship title at the season-ending Rolex Series event. The Northern Irishman delivered a masterclass in control and shot-making to claim his third DP World Tour Championship victory in 2024, sealing a record-equalling sixth Race to Dubai title to sit alongside the late, great Seve Ballesteros and further cementing his status as one of the most decorated players in Tour history. The 36-year-old has moved into joint second place for the most Race to Dubai victories and now sits two behind Colin Montgomerie, as he bids to add another European Number One crown to his already impressive career. McIlroy has four additional victories in Dubai, and the Masters Champion currently leads the Race to Dubai Rankings ahead of Tyrrell Hatton by 1,109.51 points. He will spend two weeks in the UAE following confirmation that he will also tee it up at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship - the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs - qualifying for both season-ending events thanks to that thrilling victory at Augusta National, a fourth-place finish at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, a tied runner up finish at the Genesis Scottish Open, and tied seventh at The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush. 'Dubai has always been a special place for me,' said McIlroy. 'Winning both the DP World Tour Championship and the Race to Dubai last year was an incredible way to finish the season. To equal Seve's record made it even more special. I've played some great golf this year and I'm looking forward to finishing strong again in front of the fans at Jumeirah Golf Estates.' Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
Daily Mail
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
JONATHAN BROCKLEBANK: Glasgow hosted a glorious Games - but bringing them back now feels like a terrible mistake
A kind of magic typically descends on Scotland when it hosts world sporting events. I am a veteran of several Open championships at St Andrews and, at each one, I've fallen under the spell. Seve Ballesteros holing his 12ft putt on the 18th to clinch the title in1984? I was greenside, watching the ball hesitate on the lip of the cup and then finally drop, prompting ecstasy from the Spaniard. He later described it as happiest moment of his life. It was one of the most unforgettable in mine. Some moaned about the road closures but it's the magic I remember about the UCI Cycling World Championships when they hit Glasgow two summers ago. In the 160mile men's road race Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel hurtled into a crash barrier in the Merchant City after opening up a commanding lead. 'Someone call an ambulance' was my first thought. His first one was getting back on his damaged bike and hanging on for victory. Bewitching viewing. So were the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 11 years ago. I was among the 60,000 at the opening ceremony at Celtic Park – a delightfully bonkers spectacle of dancing tea cakes and Scottie dogs in tartan coats leading out the teams from each participating nation. The late Queen was there; the Red Arrows too. Rod Stewart and Amy Macdonald duetted on Rhythm of My Heart together. Susan Boyle, bless her, did Mull of Kintyre. I was too caught in the moment to consider how all this was playing elsewhere, but I gather a UK audience of nine million tuned in for the BBC's coverage, while the estimated worldwide audience was one billion. On the streets of Glasgow the games were inescapable. A volunteer army of more than 12,000 helpers – known as Clyde-siders – saw to that. Fine by me. In a few weeks it would be the independence referendum that was inescapable. Here was a welcome chance for the city to stand as one before facing the sorry task of dividing itself in two. I struggle to think of a single occasion in the past when Scotland has not been enriched by the arrival of elite sports men and women on its shores. Why then, does the return of the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow next summer feel like a terrible mistake? Why does it bring groans rather than tingles of anticipation? And why does the same sense of listlessness seem to afflict the BBC which, last time around, cleared its schedules for such unpromising spectacles as weightlifting from the Armadillo and bowling from Kelvingrove Park? A year out from the Games, the Beeb has not yet committed to showing anything at all. And, I'm sorry to say, I kind of get it. In 2014 the athletics were hosted by Hampden Park, our national stadium. Twelve years later they are heading for Scotstoun stadium which, even with added temporary seating, will have a quarter of Hampden's capacity. There will be just 10 core sports and a total of four venues. In 2014 there were 17 sports and 16 venues. Yes, these are a scaled down version of the Games, everyone involved has readily admitted ever since Glasgow contrived to find itself the only candidate for staging them – but they will still be magic. Really? They are beginning to sound like a school sports day. I wonder if attending them won't feel rather like showing up for a wake and swapping wistful memories of the deceased. Remember 2014 when the world's fastest man Usain Bolt stood in the rain in the east end and – allegedly – delivered the verdict that whole shebang was 'a bit sh*t'? How fervently we took issue at the time. Sure, it may have lacked the wallop of the Olympics or the World Cup Finals but it was a sporting feast nonetheless. Our stadiums were filled. Our hearts were full, our voices hoarse. This time around? I cannot imagine being in any position to disagree with the sprinter's original assessment. You may remember that the Australian state of Victoria was slated to host the 2026 Games until it pulled out in July 2023. State premier Daniel Andrews – a republican – said he was not prepared to spend up to £3.6 billion on a '12 day sporting event'. 'I've made a lot of difficult decisions in this job,' he added: 'This is not one of them.' The 2022 Games were held in Birmingham after Durban in South Africa – the only bidder for the event – was ruled out due to financial constraints. The 2030 Games? They were supposed to be heading for Alberta in Canada but, a month after Victoria ditched plans to host next year's games, Alberta got its cancellation in early for following edition. Are we getting a pattern here? Is every Commonwealth country but Britain waking up to the fact the games are past their sell-by date? I'm lukewarm at best about the return of the Games not only because, by financial necessity, they will be a pale imitation of the 2014 version. It's also the fact no-one else on the planet wanted them. Victoria was prepared to hand over £100 million to Glasgow just to be shot of them. How deafening the silence from potential hosts when Mr Andrews delivered his bombshell in 2023. All around, great Commonwealth nations sitting on their hands, avoiding gazes, waiting for some muggins UK city to blink. As a sports lover, it depresses me to say it, but I wish Glasgow had sat on its hands too. If these games are to survive – and I doubt they will – then the least they require is a level of desire among nations beyond our shores to host them. That's a big ask in the 21st century. Don't forget this is an event which began life in 1930 as the British Empire Games and did not drop the word 'empire' from its name until 1970. Queen Elizabeth II may not have seen it this way – she treasured the Commonwealth – but the competing nations in this quadrennial fixture owe their right to participate to history which not all of their populations now celebrate. It's because of this history that Canadian athletes compete but USA ones do not, that practically the whole of Europe is a no show. Here in the UK our attachment to the Games is, I suspect, of a different nature to that of other Commonwealth nations – and not simply because we are the daddy. We enjoy the fact that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland compete as separate nations rather than Team GB as they do in the Olympics. For those of a Nationalist, republican bent, it may be the one thing the Games have going for them. But I wonder if the time has come for us to worry less about keeping the Games on life support and focus more on their reputation outside the UK. Are they a thing of value or a diplomatic chore? Do top-flight athletes in Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Jamaica still see them as relevant to their careers or might they have come round to Mr Bolt's way of thinking? I don't say it should be the latter but, if it is, it's time to let go.
Reuters
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Jon Rahm supports Sergio Garcia as future Ryder Cup captain
July 24 - There are still two months until the next Ryder Cup, but Jon Rahm already has thoughts on which golfer should captain Team Europe six years hence. With Ryder Cup officials revealing Tuesday that Spain's Camiral Golf Resort will host the 2031 competition, Rahm believes countryman Sergio Garcia makes sense as Team Europe's captain. The only other time Spain was the site for the Ryder Cup, Spain's Seve Ballesteros captained his side to victory in 1997 at Valderrama. "I think there's something to say about possibly having, obviously, a local captain," Rahm said Wednesday while previewing this week's LIV Golf United Kingdom tournament. "I think it would do wonders for the crowd. If history shows us anything, and it's very hard to compare anybody to Seve, but I've only heard stories about what that Ryder Cup was like. I would say, if possible, I think that's a very obvious good choice to have Sergio be a part of that one." The 45-year-old Garcia ranks among the greatest performers in Ryder Cup annals. In 10 Ryder Cup competitions from 1999 to 2021, he delivered a 25-13-7 record in singles matches. No one has equaled his 28.5 points earned - and he might claim a spot on captain Luke Donald's team for this year's Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York. "I think that I can bring things to the team that-to any team that would probably need it," Garcia told reporters after making the cut at last week's Open Championship. "Obviously, at the end of the day, he's going to make whatever he thinks is the best decision for him and his team, at the end of the day. So, we'll see." --Field Level Media
Glasgow Times
22-07-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Ryder Cup to return to Spain in 2031
It will be the second time the biennial event has been staged in the country, after Valderrama in 1997. The news was announced by the European Tour Group on Tuesday. We're heading back to Spain for the first time since 1997 🇪🇺 — Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) July 22, 2025 It will only be the fourth time the tournament will have been played in continental Europe after Paris (2018) and Rome (2023) followed Valderrama as hosts. This year's Ryder Cup takes place at Bethpage Black in New York in September. Adare Manor in Limerick, Ireland will be the venue in 2027 and Hazeltine, near Minnesota in 2029. Guy Kinnings, chief executive of the European Tour Group, said: 'Today's announcement not only recognises Camiral as one of Europe's leading venues, but also the considerable contribution Spanish golf has made to the proud history of the Ryder Cup. 'The Ryder Cup has grown significantly since Spain last hosted it in 1997. It is one of the world's leading sporting events, which brings significant economic benefits and global exposure to a host region and country, so we could not be happier to be taking it to Costa Brava and Barcelona for the first time, and to Spain for the second time.' Eleven Spaniards have represented Europe throughout the competition's history and Seve Ballesteros famously captained the team to victory over the United States at Valderrama. Seve Ballesteros captained Europe to victory at Valderrama (PA) Camiral, which is close to Girona and around an hour's travel from Barcelona, has also been confirmed as the host of the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship on the DP World Tour from 2028-30. Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes, president of Spain's national sports council, said: 'The Government of Spain welcomes the selection of Camiral as the host venue for the 2031 Ryder Cup – a global sporting event that will showcase our country to millions of viewers around the world. 'The Ryder Cup is not only one of the most prestigious competitions on the international sporting calendar, but also an exceptional platform to demonstrate Spain's ability to successfully host major 21st-century events, combining world-class infrastructure, unparalleled natural environment and a globally renowned tourism, cultural and culinary offering.' Juan Guerrero-Burgos, president of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, said: 'It is an honour for Spain to host the Ryder Cup for the second time in history. 'The previous experience at Valderrama in 1997 was extraordinary. The economic impact, media coverage and more importantly, the legacy to our sport, tourism and awareness of golf in our country were unbelievable.'
